Jigsaw
by Lady Cheshire
Summary: She never knew when he was going to call, nor did she know what number he would use or even why he wanted to talk to her. Only one thing was certain: When Near spoke, Naoto listened. A series of phonecalls between two young and brilliant detectives.


**Written for a LJ prompt that was posted months ago. One shot. We're talking **_**extreme**_** spoilers for both series, people (including Near's name).**

**Some boring things: Staying true to their respective universes, I have kept Near 4 years older than Naoto.**

**This story starts at the beginning of Near's succession of L, and concludes after the Inaba murders. Thus, Near is 13 at the beginning while Naoto is 9. By the end of this particular experiment, Naoto is 15 and Near 19.**

**Feedback is always appreciated.**

* * *

The snow gathered on the ledge of the window while Shirogane watched as Naoto offered a battery to the pale, thin child beside her. The boy inspected it with one hand while he twisted a stray hair around his finger. Finally, he nodded and inserted it into the robot's backside. As Shirogane continued to watch the two new friends re-piece the broken robot he couldn't help but revel in awkwardness of the situation. When they had arrived, the boy had been transfixed with a listless gaze on the inert mechanical object. Shirogane had deposited Naoto in a chair in the chamber, and when he had returned he saw to his great enjoyment that she had joined the pallid-face prodigy in the repairs.

All the better for both of them.

Naoto was a fickle child, but she probably had more interaction with children her age than the child known as N. Despite this, they were both inept at dialogue, and not simply due to the language barrier.

Naoto held out her hand and N gave her the robot. She made a few minor adjustments on the wiring in the back before she returned the robot to N. He switched it on promptly, placed it on the ground, and watched with his thumb against his lip as the machine began it's first stilted and jerky steps. Shirogane watched them watch the toy and noted the difference in their demeanor with a wry smile; N deadpan and bored, and Naoto expectant with her twinkling eyes.

The elder Shirogane saw them both being extremely compatible, but only because they shared the curse of being gifted. The boy is somewhat compensatory in his awkward brilliance, and Naoto handled him treating her as an adult with unmatched smugness. Slightly more jarring was the language gap, but Shirogane figured they wouldn't need to tackle that until Naoto reached an age when her meticulousness was a little better focused-

Commander Restor and Roger Ruvie stepped through the doors and nodded to him.

-Maybe.

Shirogane's presence was a bit redundant, since N had already been chosen as L's replacement, but Ruvie didn't like children and was getting second thoughts about N's ability to handle a case this dangerous. Even though between N and M, the former was the more conservative choice. M was too hotheaded and emotional for a case this perilous, and Ruvie agreed, but the last test to seal the fate of L's successor was to be done without Shirogane. There were other matters for Shirogane to attend to, after all. As Shirogane led Naoto away she gave a detached wave to the boy, and in response he cocked his head and flicked the robot to the ground, its legs still kicking.

N would contact Shirogane twice in the next six years; once to request Naoto's contact information and once to offer his help in finding her when she goes missing.

* * *

It took a series of sharp beeps for Naoto to realize she'd fallen asleep at the Asakusa police station. She was weeks if not days away from catching a drug dealer with suspected Yakuza ties, and right now her biggest impediment was insomnia. Unfortunately, with the ringing of her cell phone came the realization that this rather annoying obstacle was not going anywhere soon. With a belated sigh, Naoto swept her arm across the desk in search of the persistent beeping.

"This is Naoto Shirogane," said the Detective Prince calmly as she removed a stray police report stuck to her forehead.

"Detective, are you alone?" It was a woman, and judging from the depth of her voice, an older woman.

Naoto didn't need to scan the office to know that she was in fact alone, but the very question itself elicited a slight frown.

"Who may I ask is calling?" Naoto asked coolly, her fingers bumping over her pistol.

"Please, answer the question."

"Yes, now who is this?"

"Please hold."

"Wait-"

"Hello?" A male's voice came over the line, and Naoto rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Who is this?"

"I trust you understand why I cannot give you my name, but for all intents and purposes you may refer to me as N. "

Naoto gaped at the stapler on her desk, her lips parted in disbelief. Though he was speaking fluidly in Japanese, she picked up the distinctive curl of a British accent.

"We met once at an orphanage in Winchester, if you recall. Your grandfather was visiting a then-colleague of his when one of my current staff requested he meet me and determine my aptitude for taking over a case. Not soon after this preliminary meeting ended, I was chosen to be the replacement for L. Do you remember now, Detective?"

Naoto removed her balled fist away from her lips to reply.

"I remember. You will forgive my asking, but isn't it dangerous for you to be calling me?"

"I assure you, the line is secure."

"That isn't what I meant," Naoto replied, slightly indignant.

"Nevertheless, you are familiar with the details of my current investigation, are you not?"

Mistake number one, implicating herself. She'd have to write that one down.

" . . . Yes."

"May I ask how?" N's voice was still aloof, but nothing about it seemed hostile. Still, Naoto hesitated.

"My grandfather has been receiving a brief case every six months from the same man. He would leave the contents on his desk, and I would read them. After my initial examination, I saw the files were coded."

"How long did it take you to break the code, Detective?"

"3 and a half months."

"Congratulations- though my associate will be unhappy to learn he has to work harder."

"Sir-"

"'N' will suffice."

" . . . I apologize if I've endangered the investigation."

"The documents were hand-delivered by a trustworthy employee of mine. Your grandfather, much like yourself, is a disinterested party intrigued with the case. If he left the documents within your reach it was because he knew you could decipher them and that you would not leak such information. I hope the case has held your fascination as much as it has mine."

Naoto frowned and began to tap her feet against the floor.

"Regardless, my focus remains on apprehending Kira. While I have recently regained the tepid support of the United States, Japan remains reticent in to re-establishing funding for any future investigations led by me. For this, I require an envoy to help my team in Japan establish diplomatic relations with the Bureau. I am contacting you with this proposition."

Naoto drummed her fingers lightly on the desk.

"I hope you do not mind if I speak freely."

"By all means."

"You have been sending my grandfather coded reports on your progress with apprehending Kira, and if I may say so myself you are laying quite the elaborate trap. I must assume that you are getting close to a confrontation. I postulate that you are within one year of arresting Kira, if your plan does not meet any unforeseen checks," Naoto stood up from her chair and flicked the lights on.

"Please, continue."

"I am also aware of the private philanthropy bestowed upon L and his successors, so funding was never and will never be an issue for you to continue a case. As far as a task force is concerned, you are more than able to give them restitution for their work. Now, of course, keeping this task force would be made easier should the Japanese Bureau lend you their sustained support, but this too should be remedied when or if Kira is caught."

Through the filter of the telephone line, Naoto could pick out the sound of cards being shuffled.

"So I ask you: what purpose would an envoy serve if you can easily rebuild relations with both Japan and the U.S. with your reputation alone?"

"Like men, reputations can be damaged beyond repair. Even though I have been working efficiently, the Bureau has grown disenchanted with the disciples of the Wammy House since L's death. I require a neutral party with no vested interest or experience with my cases to bring up the merits of my investigation, so the Bureau will not be so fickle with future endeavors."

"You have me at a loss, N-"

"Please, call me Near."

Naoto frowned.

"-Near. I cannot imagine finding spies to infiltrate the Bureau and report your status among higher officials is difficult."

"It isn't."

"Then if you don't want me as a spy, I must assume you require me to be some sort of negotiator. If you know my work, then you realize I am not adept at networking or social situations. Again, finding such men who are is not difficult, so asking me to represent you in any way is absurd."

"To their credit, the Japanese Bureau does not listen to fast talkers or spies, they listen to logicians. They listen to you, Naoto Shirogane."

Naoto's stern glance softened slightly on a distant filing cabinet.

"You were twelve at the time?" Near's voice pressed gently into the silence.

"How did you-" Absurd question, thought Naoto as she rested her head once again on her desk and stared down at her shoes.

"As I recall, the news reported a serial rapist had been caught thanks to the work of a senior police officer. This report came a month after an announcement that the Bureau was recruiting a young consultant to aid in the case. Perhaps if anyone had stopped to recognize that the police had been bogged down by the case for four years prior, there would have been some suspicion at the speedy resolution. However, news media rarely catches such details in lieu of spectacle."

Naoto pushed the receiver away from her mouth, suspecting her incredulous scowl could be transmitted through the line. Near pushed on.

"The press leads your admirers to believe that you began your landmark career at 13, but you know very well that had it not been for a skittish police force, your name would have been giving you more cases a year earlier."

She shouldn't have been angry, nor should she have been hurt. Such feelings were useless when there were bigger issues at stake, such as figuring out what Near wanted. Naoto let out a silent sigh.

"I digress. The very fact that the police took credit for your work is a demarcation of excellence, Detective. As long as you're behind closed doors, the Bureau will listen to you without objection. So when this case dissolves, I hope to see you among my allies at the Japanese Bureau of Investigation- or rather, I hope to see the fruits of your work."

"I will . . . consider it."

"Very well. Please, have a good night."

Naoto flipped the phone close and let her head return to its resting place with a thud.

* * *

A stray cat darted along the tall wall encircling the Shirogane Estate, and Naoto watched it for a moment with mild interest before her gaze returned to the wall of fog rolling in. She swallowed the rest of her cold coffee and turned to go change, when a loud buzzing noise held her back. Naoto turned to see her cell phone flashing and nearly vibrating its way off the counter before she gave it a dreary look and picked it up. The number wasn't recognizable, but that was to be expected since she'd just barely given out her contact information to the Inaba police department.

"Shirogane speaking."

"Good morning, Detective."

Naoto stopped momentarily in her tracks to observe the coffee she had spilt on the carpet upon hearing his voice.

"Near-san-"

" 'Near' will suffice."

"Ah, yes . . . I apologize, I wasn't expecting your phone call."

"No apology is necessary."

She waited for him to continue and awkwardly touched her neck when he didn't move to engage her. Naoto cleared her throat.

"If I had your contact information I would have called to impart my congratulations for closing the Kira case," Naoto said slowly, regaining her temporarily distorted thought process. "It's been over a year since you've done so. I was sorry to hear about the loss of your colleague, M."

Her steps lulled as passed the kitchen table. She may have crossed the line; she didn't even know M, had only seen him in passing that day at the orphanage. However, Naoto had heard that Near's relationship with Mello could be strained at times and flourish at others. The typical markings of a rival relationship were always there, but Naoto imagined losing a favorite opponent similar to losing a good friend.

"I appreciate that, Detective," he replied softly. "I'm calling to thank you for your services; the Bureau seems to be thawing and has even kept shadow hounding at a minimum."

"It required minimal effort."

Her eyes flickered to an envelope sitting on the counter, before turning around and resuming her route to the bathroom.

"Regardless, you've accomplished a valuable service in a quick amount of time."

"You already imparted your gratitude with the generous check, which is waiting to be returned to you for a more reasonable amount." Naoto met her reflection in the bathroom mirror and began to thread her tie into a knot.

"Your salary is comparable to your services, Detective. Keep it."

Naoto opened her mouth to argue further, even as she lifted her chin to keep the phone cradled against her shoulder, but Near slid in before her.

"You've taken on a new case."

"Yes."

"Small town police forces conduct routine traffic stops; murders cause territoriality. I trust you are expecting a fair amount of hostility?"

She froze on the image of herself in the mirror, a hand frozen on the knot of her tie.

"How did you know where I-"

"High profile detectives are difficult to track, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility for those who truly wish to find them. Specifically, my task team at the Bureau did me the favor of photocopying and forwarding your letter of consignment from the Prefectures Attorney of Inaba."

"You forgot to mention your task team intercepted that letter."

"Ah. Thank you."

Despite receiving an honest answer, Naoto felt extremely irritated.

"Why did you order your task team to follow me?" She asked tersely, open palming the light switch in the bathroom as she jostled into the living room and jerked her coat on.

"The same reason you followed my case with Kira, Detective," Near replied evenly. "I find it interesting. However, as you respectfully did with the Kira case, I will observe without moving to intervene."

Naoto paused briefly before pulling the rest of her coat on.

"After all, you are the Detective Prince. The last thing you need is outside assistance. Goodbye, Naoto Shirogane."

"G-goodbye."

* * *

Naoto popped her umbrella open under the awning of the police station before stepping out into the street and beginning the long journey home. She had turned down several offers for rides, though perhaps she should have taken them so as to delay any feeling of nervousness.

A loud chirping noise caused Naoto to flinch.

Feeling silly, she quickly reached into the breast pocket of her coat and flipped open her phone.

"This is Naoto."

She forgot to check the number, mistake number one.

"Detective, I was watching television tonight-"

"Near," she acknowledged amicably as she adjusted her cap under her umbrella. Inside, she seethed. The last thing she desired was playing mind games with an eccentric recluse on the other side of the world.

"-when a news program came on, with you as the guest of honor."

"I wasn't aware you kept up with small town news channels in Japan, especially while you are currently based in Los Angeles," Naoto winced after saying it. Knowing that Near was not one to waste time over the phone, Naoto took a deep breath and made a goal to remain stoic for the remainder of the conversation.

"Old habits die hard," he replied simply.

Naoto didn't have anything to say to that, and Near continued leisurely.

"You seemed smug, even with a camera and the possibility of death in your face."

"I'm afraid I don't know you're talking about," Naoto responded, her voice slipping a quarter of an octave. She quickly continued. "The public is panicking over the murders. I was merely alleviating the tension-"

"Then you might have indulged the reporter in his questions about your admirers instead of publicly doubting Mitsuo Kubo as the suspect."

Mistake number two, lying without thinking ahead.

"Tell me Near, have you grown so bored with your own case that you are currently drawing hypotheses around mine?"

"No," Near responded nonchalantly before proceeding. "The reports from the Inaba police department regarding Mitsuo Kubo and their complaints of your stubborn denial of the evidence, and I use the term lightly, against him are perfectly congruent. I assume the police are continuing to respond negatively to your theories, else you would not have taken your case to the news."

"It was an interview, nothing more."

Near ignored her.

"-This leads me to my next set of possibilities: Either you have grown desperate and are pandering to a television audience for support, or you are testing the theory that those who appear on television are the murder's chosen victims. The consistency and logic of your police reports suggest your sanity is well intact, so you are laying a trap and using yourself as bait."

She could ask him how he knew, but Naoto realized she'd be wasting her breath. Naoto suspected Seta and his accomplices had already taken note of the pattern as well, of course they did when she was certain it was they who were consistently rescuing would-be victims. The fact that Near had taken notice was annoying, but not a pressing matter.

"I fail to see your point, Near."

"I admire you for formulating an insightful hypothesis and taking the initiative to test it, but I disagree with your chosen method."

She grimaced. If he had spoken to her with some degree of authority or patronization, she could easily refute him. However, Near had yet to address her with the patronizing voice of an older, more experienced detective.

"Noted. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss, Near?" Naoto heard her own impatience ring loudly in her ears.

"This case cannot be solved without the Detective Prince," replied Near, seemingly nonplussed.

"I don't plan on leaving the case."

"Plans aside, you may die. Valuing your job over your life will not help advance the investigation."

"As I recall, one of your colleagues valued his job more than his life. Had this not been the case, Kira would not have been caught."

"M was a reckless man who made rational decisions. He truly was the only one who could instigate a series of chain reactions that would place Kira in our hands. I'm sure you've read the case report enough times that you know this. M saw certain capture for Kira with his own death, with no variables threatening to intervene. However, you, Naoto Shirogane, are placing yourself into a trap that can behave in one of two ways."

"Elaborate."

"You are assuming that you will either be rescued or killed. If you are rescued, then you will presumably know the method and identity of the killer and the authorities will realize that the killer is not in fact Mitsuo Kubo. If you are killed, then the police will know the killer is not Mitsuo Kubo, but that is all they will know. If the preceding victims are any indication, then the chances of you appearing alive are good. However, the risk of resurfacing dead is significant- and you as a detective cannot ignore it."

She heard the distinct sound of a house of cards tumbling to the ground.

"M was worth more dead than alive- he knew that. In this case, the Inaba case, you are worth more alive than dead."

When Naoto could not respond, Near continued.

"You have heard my opinion. I trust it has not affected your own."

Naoto took a deep breath.

"No."

"Then we have nothing left to discuss. Good luck, Naoto."

"Goodbye, Near."

* * *

It was a little past four in the morning when the outdated telephone beside her bed began a shrill cry and Naoto's headache was revitalized with robust energy. After the last few days, Naoto was unwilling to bet against Rise Kujikawa's talent for fretting and couldn't think of anyone else who would call her at this time of the night. From force of habit rather than well-thought out choice, she reached for the phone and answered it before she had time to stop and think about ignoring the call.

"Hello?" Naoto mumbled as her eyes adjusted to the fuzzy red numbers on her alarm clock. If she hadn't been so tired, she would have realized that the person on the other end had not spoken yet.

"Hello?" She repeated again, her voice still only half there.

"You're alive."

Naoto rolled onto her back and pinched her nose.

"I'm not certain, but I think you're surprised."

"Yes. It would seem the experiences of the past six years have rendered me faithless when it comes to missing detectives."

"Fair enough."

"You sound terrible."

"I feel terrible."

"What happened?"

"I'm not so sure you would believe me."

"So it surpasses the supernatural appearances of Death Gods and notebooks whose inherent evil is able to kill whose name is written within its pages?"

Mistake number one, forgetting Near's unperturbed nature encompassed all facets of existence, reality or supernatural.

"Point taken, and no, but it comes quite close."

"I won't ask you to relive it now, as I know I'm calling at an inappropriate time."

Naoto ran a hand through her hair.

"It's quite fine, I can talk freely about the case since I am no longer assigned to it."

"Actually, I was calling this number in the hopes that I could reach your grandfather."

"My grandfather?"

"Yes."

"I see," Naoto said, failing to completely mask her confusion. "I'm afraid he is traveling on business, but I can pass the message on to him that you called-"

"The matter has resolved itself, I no longer need to contact him."

"Oh," said Naoto abruptly.

"I'll be calling again. Please, get some rest."

"Yes. Good night, Near."

* * *

They met at a pub in Winchester on a sunny December afternoon.

Near sat in a corner booth, and in the booth beside him were two middle-aged men. One sat idly flipping a newspaper and the other munched on a sandwich. As Naoto neared the table, the men apprised her with professional smiles and resumed their small pastimes.

He commented on the neat line of stitches running over her temple, but said nothing about her feminine figure when they finally shook hands. Naoto, on the other hand, couldn't get past how fragile Near's pale complexion made him look in the unfiltered light. If it wasn't the plain button shirt that he was practically drowning in, it was the way he sat hunched over in a distant corner booth that made her suspect he was younger than he claimed.

The waitress gently set a glass of red wine beside Near, and Naoto paled when the waitress deposited an additional glass beside her.

"I'm not-"

"The drinking laws in England are slightly different than in Japan, Detective."

"Still, I don't drink."

Near shrugged.

"Neither do I. However, I do believe our successful survival of the last decade as well as finally meeting again warrants some sort of celebration."

It sounded so logical, that Naoto took her first hesitant sip before she realized Near was voicing opinion rather than fact.

They were both small enough that it wasn't long before their heads were buzzing. Neither of them were jovial drunks, but the alcohol opened their mouths a bit wider and even allowed them to smile or snicker.

Outside it was dark, but Naoto could still see each individual snowflake as it tumbled from the sky. They hadn't spoken in a while, and Near was looking tired. Naoto was ready to perform the time-intensive task of turning around and flagging the waitress for the check, when Near's voice drew her attention.

"Do you think their ideals coincide?" Near queried absently.

"Whose?" Naoto murmured, her head feeling heavy.

Near began to languidly shred the napkin in his lap.

"Tohru Adachi and Yagami Light."

Naoto rested her head on the cool surface of the table.

"What a frivolous question."

Near chuckled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"They both craved infallible authority," Naoto nearly died when she heard the words drawl in her mouth. "however . . . Adachi was lazy. He would have never gone to the extremes Yagami Light did to keep his power."

"But Adachi wanted to see how far he could push people, and went to some exhaustive work to do so."

Naoto shrugged, tracing the rim of her glass with her forefinger.

"Yes, but he persisted for only a year, Kira was ready to dedicate his life to cultivating a utopia. Also, had Adachi been like Yagami Light, he would have stopped Namatame from being captured, or would have killed him before we had a chance to talk to him."

"Ah, but wouldn't you have killed him before that? Had your senpai not intervened?"

Naoto's finger stopped on the rim as she thought it over. Her emotions had run high that night, it would be foolish to say that she would have resisted killing him-

"Perhaps that was Adachi's mistake. He assumed no one would listen to Namatame, and even if they did they wouldn't have been able to understand any of what he was saying. Kira would have never made such a mistake. He would have kept a tighter leash on Namatame."

"Yes," Near agreed.

"Regardless," Naoto continued. "their beliefs do not coincide."

"You don't think so?"

"Adachi may have devised some nonsense for a perfect world, but I personally believe he was merely looking for a way out of his own. He would have welcomed being a God, but he was not willing to fight for it like Yagami Light."

"I see. Well put, Naoto."

She frowned softly.

"What do you think?"

Near put his fingers against the base of his wine glass

"I think Adachi would have made the perfect disciple for Yagami Light, had he a little more idealism."

Naoto kept her wide-eyed stare on the empty glass before her.

"Interesting."

The pub closed, and the men in suits led Near and Naoto out into the snowy night. They walked for a while down the pavement and talked quietly before one of the men opened a door and Near offered his hand once again to Naoto.

"Agent Bradley will take you back to your hotel."

Naoto began a noise of protest, and Near shrugged in response.

"The drinking age may be different here, but public drunkenness is still illegal. Take the ride, Naoto. No one here thinks you're weak."

"I will follow your next case with great interest, whenever you choose to re-enter the field."

Naoto gave him a brief nod.

"Thank you. I hope you don't mind if I do the same, Near."

"'Nate' is sufficient."

She took an unbalanced step back, unprepared for what he had just said.

"W-what?"

He looked at her blankly.

"Nate River, Naoto. I share my name with those who know its value. Goodnight."

He got into the car, and left Naoto floundering long after he and his escort disappeared. The man in the suit behind her waited for several minutes before he asked Naoto if she was ready to leave.

She answered his question with a small, laughing smile.

* * *

The End


End file.
